Car Craft Project Cars

If you had an unlimited budget. What car would you build and how you build it?
douglas  

I'd write a check for a 427 BBC/twin turbo/6 speed manual'69 Camaro.  

A '69 Camaro! Hah I love it. Who else? U-n-l-i-m-i-t-e-d budget? BTW, Mjolnir427, go for the Chevy 572 then use 427 Crossed Flags on the air cleaner.
douglas  

A Tucker with the suspension and drivetrain from a 2009 ZR1 Vette.  

Let's see if I can make my first post a worthwhile one...
I've always thought about building a "modular" car...Making the drivetrain, suspension, and even certain interior bits able to be swapped in and out relatively easily. Have assemblies for cruising, long hauls, drag racing, autocross, etc.
For instance, have a 632"/Powerglide combo for the drags and a 6.0L GenIII/4L60E for cruising. Make all the plumbing quick-release and put connectors on all the wires/harnesses.
Or how about one complete heavy-duty front k-member with suspension attached and the geometry set for autocrossing, and another set up softer and with more travel for long hauls.
I imagine one could get creative coming up with quick-release hardware and other ideas to make this work.
Of course, you'd need a rather large shop to store all these "modules" along with little stuff like different sets of wheel and tire combos, different length driveshafts, shifters, seats, etc...but we're talkin' UNLIMITED budget, right??  

You would be in the garage all the time. Not bad.
douglas  

Unlimited budget....I know what drive train I'd build, not sure what car.  I'd build a hybrid small Turbine-electric powered drive train. Like a conventional hybrid, the turbine would drive a generator, and I'd have some high power electric motor's running the wheels.  Find out the most efficent means of power to the ground, One big motor, four small ones, two medium ones.....and run with it.  Naturally the newest in battery technology.

Carwise, '69 Firebird would be cool, otherwise a large Buick like my Centurion.

I'm already building my Skylark the way I want for what I want and I have plans in the long run for a twin turbo FE engine and a Black on Black with lots of chrome look for my '67 T-bird 4-dr.  Unlimited budget would sure speed these up though    
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The Silver Buick- '77 Skylark coupe w/ a Fuel Injected Buick 455&TKO-600, '72 Centurion Conv't - 455w/TH400, '67 T-bird 4Dr (suicide) w/428&C6. Needing to replace a '69 Firebird 400.

http://www.bangshift.com/forum/index.php?topic=6189.0

Ummmm...unlimited budget?  OK...a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO restored dead stock  
68 Olds Cutlass ~ 350 Rocket
85 Delta 88 ~ 425 Rocket
02 Silverado 4X4 ~ 5.3L

I would finish the one that got away.

Im talking about my 68 Galaxie fastback that I didn't have the time or the motivation to finish working on. I had alot of plans with it, but with big plans came a new job and little time to work on the vehicle. It was the $250 beater that I bought, got running again, did about 80% of the body work on and then just let sit, and sit. I had alot of respect for the car, in fact too much to just send it to the crusher when I realized that I wasn't going to get anything done to it in the near future. The big ol gal was taken to a friends house where we yanked out the drivetrain and put her up for sale. Another user on this board became the new owner and had a 460 swapped in place of the beat up FE in a matter of a week or two, and after seeing it recently, its come along more in the last 6 months than it did in the last year that I owned it.

Back on subject though, I would finish that car in the image that I had for it. It was to be a Nascar inspired ratter of sorts. The "big and nasty" car that you saw at the track or the cruise in and wondered why you never thought of anything like that. I wanted to have 15x8 wheels up front, and 15x10 wheels on the back with Nascar slicks all the way around, and another set of 17in steelies for general street driving. I did run 15x10s with slicks for a long time on the car, and did get the 17 inch steelies made for it which I ran on it until I sold the car. A 460, carburated, single turbocharged was the plan. Alas that never came to be. Unlimited budget would have changed it to a fuel injected twin turbo 460 with a toploader. I had a C6 in there, but the manual trans would have suited the brutal, big nasty better.

Paint was going to be a dark solid grey with a flattened clearcoat over the whole body with a glossy metallic dark grey over the hood. Given the roundy-round apperance of the body it would have practically have been mandantory to keep the aluminum straps on the windshield and backlite along with the deleted anteanna and shaved drip rails. I had no bumper on the car, and it suited it but fabricating a proper valance would have been better for the race theme. There was no interior and that would have remained the same. I might have put in a passeneger seat along with a requisite cage.

There is more I would have loved to have done, but I dont have the specifics. Chassis wise, and along with the unlimited budget theme, Id love a nice tube chassis with the full race suspension under there. It probably would have shed a few pounds to say the least.

Ahh... to dream.

On the lighter note, the FMX in my Cougar is taking a poo, so as soon as my headers get here its time to rip it apart and get the 428 and C6 in there. Not quite an unlimited budget there, but hey... I'm happy with it.  

I'd finish the two I got.

The Impala would get an intercooled ATI procharged, injected 427 sbc and a 6 speed. I figure I could drag it, road race it, Silver State it, cruise it, and road trip it.

The Caprice I want to restore to mostly stock.  

First off, Unlimited budget and limited to ONE car???  That's not the Car Craft philosophy.

Well, Here's my project fantasy.

First retire and move to that community in North Carolina that caters to retired Hot Rodders and Car Builders.  I think it was called "Hawk's Hill".

Second, rent or buy a set of wheels to get me to the parts stores and paint stores.

Third, order a Vortech kit for my T-bird's 3.8L.

Fourth, order the parts I don't already have for a "Splitport" swap from Super Six Motorsports.

Fifth, buy a SCT XCal2 and interface hardware to reprogram the Bird's EEC for new parameters.

Sixth, order new BLACK carpet for the Bird.

Seventh, order a Gear Vendors overdrive unit for my 4R70W transmission.

Eighth, order a one piece Aluminum drive shaft for the Bird.

Ninth, Scrounge up an 8.8" IRS from a Super Coupe and put in the 3.55 gear set I have and a TrakLok with the F-150 spring.

Tenth, Order a set of Raxles.

While I'm waiting for my parts to arrive, take off the front clip and remove the engine, transmission, and exhaust.

I'd send the Tranny out to Darrin of the Thunderbird and Cougar Club of America (TCCoA) for a full "Jerry Mod".

Next I'd tear down the engine for new forged aluminum Buick GN spec pistons, forged rods, and a new Ford 4.2L crankshaft.

While the car is apart, I'd sand down everything for a complete primer and paint job.

When all is arrived, assemble the motor.  The Splitport heads and 2000 Mustang intakes will add more than 70 HP by themselves.  The XCal2 chip and Vortech will add even more fun.

I'd spend a few wonderful weeks mating the GV unit, tranny, and motor to put in the car and getting it running.

Of course I'll have used Fel-Pro MLS gaskets for the heads and E85 resistant gaskets elsewhere.

The interior will be learning how to dye interior panels and sew new material on the existing seats.

Last, will be a test drive from NC to LA for the CC anti-tour.

This is just a quickie of my one project.  There's a 46 Chevy 1/4 ton I want to do.  A 50 Chevy 3/4 ton to finish for my brother.  Restore Dad's 74 Chevy Crew Cab. (That 454 is tired).  If I can find one, do a 65 Buick Skylark with a GN engine.  

i would finally start on my 78 marquis. i would buy a tim meyer 434 stroker for it, probably put fuel injection on it so i could put a turbo on later, and swap the fmx and stock rear for a c6 and a 9 inch. interior wise, i would put it back to stock, except for the bench seat and all the other niceties that make a cruiser a cruiser. if this failed, i would just pull the sbc out of my s10 and put a 572 in with all the safety and traction devices required for me to live through the first quarter  

What if you only had 10,000 to do an entire car. What kind of car do you think has the most fun for the dollar?
douglas  

I could Finish my 97 T-Bird, and maybe buy this 64 Falcon I spotted last weekend.  

I had plenty of fun with this one for $750. Parted it out and made all that back plus a little cash.

Kinda hurt to part it out. Rust like that doesnt just happen overnight you know.